He was first elected to municipal office in 2013 with the party started by the late Marcel Côté, but now, Cote Des Neiges-NDG borough mayor Russell Copeman is making the jump to mayor Denis Coderre's party.
Copeman and Coderre were at City Hall on Friday to make that announcement.
The two have known each other for years, but when it came time to recruiting candidates for the 2013 election, Côté's Coalition Montreal party got to Copeman first.
On Friday, Coderre praised his new recruit, who will carry the Team Coderre banner in the 2017 election.
"He's a true ally, not only for the team and for the executive committee, but also, he's an asset," Coderre says.
And Copeman was just as effusive — crediting the mayor with revitalizing the city.
"We no longer talk about an immobilisme at the City of Montreal," Copeman said. "Those days are over."
Projet Montreal's Cote Des Neiges-NDG councillor Peter McQueen says he's glad Copeman is showing his true colors, suggesting Copeman has pretty much always been in the Coderre camp since he was elected.
"Mayor Copeman was a part-time mayor, and a zero-time opposition," McQueen said. "In terms of opposition, he's done nothing. He never stood up to mayor Coderre once. He never once voted against mayor Coderre."